Jack Bluetooth Adapter
This tiny device brings Bluetooth capability to all of your audio devices. It even lets you sync headphones with a friend! The Jack is as simple as a tie clip, designed with elegance and a low profile silhouette.
Role: Lead | Industrial Design, Product Development, CMF, Mechanical Engineering, Project Management, Manufacturing.
Jack by Podo Labs was successfully funded, $804,268, on Kickstarter in November 2017.
Make Any Headphones Wireless
In September 2017, Apple announced the iPhone 7. People around the world were so excited about Apple’s new invention; however, they noticed one important feature of iPhone 7: the headphone jack was removed. The question was raised: what should I do with my premium headphones? — leading to the idea of a slim and sleek Bluetooth adapter, Jack.
The manufacturing processes for the metal clip were complicated. I studied all kinds of stainless steel alloys with many metal fabricators to achieve the best flexibility and integrity after the heat treatment processes. It was challenging when it came to plating the clip. Since there was a contact point on the clip itself, it was difficult to plate the whole clip after physical vapor deposition process without any defection. The heat would either deform the clip or create uneven coloration on the clip. However, after numerous trials with different plating fixtures, we got our perfect clips.
I sought to indicate functionality and break up the product’s parting lines through the use of subtle material changes.
In order to achieve the design aesthetics, as seen in the animation, I designed the assembly processes in horizontal direction instead of conventional vertical direction.
3D Modeling, Rendering, Animation — Chuntze Cheng
